Since 16-year-old Israeli Ahuvia Sandak died during a police chase near the settlement of Kochav Hashachar on 21 December 2020, the number of violent settler attacks against Palestinians has sharply risen throughout the West Bank.
On 22 December 2020, at around 10:00 P.M., Iyad Hamuda, 42, a father of six from the village of Kharbata al-Mesbah was driving on Road 60. As he approached the Salfit intersection (Ari’el University), Hamuda drove past a police cruiser, and then, dozens of settlers pelted his car with stones, breaking the front windshield and side-view mirrors. The officers did not intervene.
Hamuda kept driving for about 100 meters until he reached two police cruisers and a military vehicle that were pulled over by the side of the road. He stopped to report the incident, but they signaled for him to keep driving.
Hamuda’s windshield and side-view mirrors were repaired the next day for several hundred NIS.
In the testimony he gave B'Tselem field researcher Iyad Hadad, Hamuda described the settler attack on his car in the presence of police and military and the indifference shown by police officers in the area:
I was driving my car home to Kharbata al-Mesbah, Ramallah District, on Road 60.
I approached the Salfit (Ari’el University) intersection, which branches out of Road 60. When I was 100-200 meters away from the intersection, I saw about six or seven Israel Police and military vehicles and dozens of settlers. I slowed down and kept driving. I passed a police car that was parked about 20-30 meters ahead of the intersection, and the officers never warned me or said anything. They let me fall prey to the settlers.
After I passed the police car, I found myself surrounded by settlers. They were spread out in the middle of the road over more than 100 meters. They were holding signs and flags, and some had sticks and bats. They were in a rage and started throwing stones at my car. One stone hit the front windshield and cracked it. I was terrified, and I didn’t know what to do. I put my head down and kept driving. I drove about 30 or 40 meters, with stones hitting the body of the car, especially on the left. The two side-view mirrors were damaged.
After about 100 meters, I came across two police cars and a military vehicle, and I told them what had happened. The officer in the driver’s side seat instructed me to keep driving.
I drove another 30 meters, and then I saw officers stopping cars driving in the opposite direction. There were about 20 vehicles there. I stopped and warned the drivers.
I drove on for about three kilometers, until the a-Sawiyah intersection, and pulled over there. I called the Israel Police and complained about what happened and about the police and military being around and doing nothing. They suggested I file a complaint at the Ari’el police station and asked if I needed an ambulance. I said I didn’t and that I couldn’t drive back to the station. The lady told me to go tomorrow.
I was very scared because it was very difficult to see through the cracked windshield, and so I drove slowly and carefully, and it took me more than an hour to get home. My family was waiting for me at home, very worried. That night was a nightmare, like a horror movie. Thank God I wasn’t hurt and came out of it in one piece.